Doublecheck your water consumption: 1 in 10 water meters is inaccurate

Posted
on 29/09/2017

The FPS Economy has confirmed that almost one in ten Belgian water meters did not measure accurately last year. Good news for some consumers, who’d used more water than their meters recorded. But others consumed way less and were overcharged. Was your latest water bill significantly higher or lower than expected? Then perhaps it’s got something to do with your water meter.

27.400 water meters

In Belgium, all water meters are calibrated by the Metrology department of the FBS Economy, which also does routine checks to remedy any inaccuracies. Last year they checked 27.400 water meters, revealing that almost one in ten had defects. Such defects could mean that your water meter is too slow, resulting in a water bill that’s too low for what you’ve actually consumed. In other cases the meter runs too fast, making you pay for water that never actually poured out of your faucet.

Having your water meter checked

Are you not sure if your water measurements are correct? Then it’s a good idea to ask your water meter company for a check-up. If you still don’t trust your meter, you’re entitled to file a complaint with the FPS Economy, who will then conduct a check themselves. Consumer complaints made the FPS do 279 extra checks last year. A shocking 47 meters, or 16 percent of all cases, turned out not to have been calibrated correctly. Remarkably: the remainder of the meters worked just fine; rather, the problem was caused by one or several leaks in the pipes.

Water consumption: little drops make many litres

A leaky faucet may look innocent, but make no mistake: those little drops quickly add up to 4 litres an hour. Fortunately, a leaky faucet is easy to notice and repair. Leaky pipes, by contrast, are often only discovered after people become alarmed at the water bill, even though the issue could’ve come to light much sooner. Would you rather not wait for the bill? Use the fifthplay cube to monitor your water consumption daily, wherever you are. You’ll also get a good overview of your consumption over time. What’s more, a smart package like KBC SmartHome (developed in cooperation with fifthplay) will immediately notify you of water leaks.

Nice to know

The fifthplay cube allows you to monitor your electricity consumption always and everywhere, and you can even use it to turn appliances off from a distance. Finally, the KBC SmartHome package does not only bring water leaks to light, but also sends you a text message in case of smoke or fire.

Companies detect water leaks with fifthplay EMS

Many companies who wish to save water have their buildings audited to understand the water flow and to quickly identify water wastage. But since a water audit only captures a moment in time, many companies choose to install the fifthplay Energy Management System, allowing them to monitor their water consumption daily and to immediately detect leaks.